Help please - trade recommendations needed in SW12

[thesaurusgirl]

Long term lurker crawling out of the woodwork here in sheer desperation.

Bought a flat in Balham earlier this year. About 750 square feet. Needs work but it's habitable as it is, and I couldn't afford anything better.

I need 2 sash windows refurbished, 2 old and leaky veluxes replaced, and 4 new triple glazed windows; an electrical rewire; a new kitchen and bathroom; replastering and redecorating; and new flooring.

The quotes I've had so far - when the people have even bothered to turn up - have been astronomical. I'm not plucking names and numbers out of the air, I've asked my friends and family for recommendations, but even they are now appalled by the kinds of prices being asked.

£8k for windows.

£5k for electrics.

£15k for new kitchen - just a tiny Ikea one with bog standard appliances, nothing fancy.

I just don't know what to do and can't work out whether people are taking the piss on quoting because they don't want the work, or whether refurbishment prices have jumped astronomically in recent months.

So, does anyone have any recommendations of non-shark, reliable and affordable builders and tradesmen in the local area? I don't have a DIY-handy family so I will have to pay over the odds, but I don't have the money to throw away after the likes of Pimlico or Aspect.

Any replies will be fallen upon with great thankfulness .

Those prices sound obscene, something definitely crazy there! Suspect people don't want the work and are pricing accordingly. Bah. I will PM you with a rec, but the chappie is very good (with fair prices) and therefore has a waiting list. But he's worth waiting for!

£15k for a small ikea kitchen?!! I got a big entirely bespoke kitchen for that incl appliances. Sounds ridiculous.
I'm not far from you. I'll PM you all the people I used. Plastering will also be a big expense if its not just skimming. That was one of my major costs.

Thank you for the PMs, to which I've now replied (begging for more info!)

Just wondering if anyone else has any recommendations.

I've been told to avoid Pimlico and Aspect like the plague this morning by a colleague who says she's heard nothing good about either. Expensive AND crap, only in London...

Do you mean pimlico plumbers? I think they are brilliant in an emergency. And you pay through the nose. But if you need a plumber or other trade at your door within an hour they're great. Not for a refurb you can plan in advance though!

I have two names. A builder who is good but not cheap, (not rip off though) and another windows/ kitchen/ bathroom company that I used to use a lot for jobs.

I'll try to PM you the names, ( never PM's before)

Busy - pl could you pm the numbers also?

Final bump, and just to say that - I think! - I've replied to everyone's PMs. Thank you everyone, I'll let you know how I get on.

Just to say that I had an Ikea kitchen fitted by one of their own kitchen fitters. It made it so much easier to organise with regards to the delivery of the units, any missing parts etc and I paid for it all using their kitchen finance option which was quite reasonable. The kitchen fitter did an excellent job, turned up on time and actually finished it early - was very impressed. My brother is a carpenter and he says that Ikea kitchens are generally a nightmare to fit compared to Howdens/B&Q etc so going with a fitter that does them day in day out is always a good idea.